A Constable, a Cattle Thief, and Five Bullets on the Road to Ritzville

Ritzville, June 25 — Special. Shortly after noon yesterday L. A. Conlee, a constable and detective for the Cattlemen's Association at Sprague, arrested Alfred Simes, known as "Jesse James," who has been wanted here for some weeks for cattle stealing. The arrest was made at Sprague, and the officer started with his prisoner for Ritzville on horseback. This morning the body of the constable was found by a farmer in the middle of the road about five miles from Ritzville, riddled with bullets. He had been shot three times through the heart, once through the head and once through the hip. Simes, after the shooting, escaped, taking the two horses, and was seen about 5 p.m. going north toward British Columbia. This morning the body of Conlee, after a coroner's inquest, was brought to Ritzville and prepared for shipment to his home at Sprague, where he has a wife and two children. No details of the tragedy can be obtained, but it is supposed that the murderer overpowered the constable and secured his revolver, as signs of a struggle were visible and a piece of a pistol was near the body. The shooting was heard by the railroad section men. Conlee was a noted stock detective. Simes has a pretty hard reputation and is a member of a well organized gang of rustlers whose rendezvous was discovered recently in the neighborhood of Rock Lake, a wild and barren locality in Whitman county. Here they had cached a large quantity of stolen goods and many head of stock in a cave in the rocks. These rustlers have given the stockmen much trouble throughout Eastern Washington, and strenuous efforts have been made to break up the gang. Sheriff Thompson and a well armed posse are in pursuit of the desperado. Lew A. Conlee has for a long time been secretary of the Stock Growers' Protective Association of Lincoln and Douglas counties, and was known as one of the bravest officers in the state. His body was terribly mangled. Conlee arrested Simes without resistance at 2 o'clock and started back with his prisoner, both mounted on good horses. It is said some of Simes' partners rode with them or followed, saying they "wanted to see fair play." Conlee did not think it necessary to manacle his prisoner, and handcuffs were found in the pockets of the dead man's clothes. The outlaws have a good start, but it is believed they cannot escape. Less than an hour from the time the body was discovered a pursuing party was in the saddle and messages had been sent to officers all over Eastern Washington to look out for the fugitives. The people in this vicinity are in a fever of excitement. Crowds of farmers have been coming into town all day, offering assistance and vowing vengeance. Should Simes be taken alive it will be useless to place him in jail here for safe keeping, and reports from Lincoln county show that the same feeling prevails at Sprague. The body of the dead man was brought to town.